On the eve of CoffeeCon San Francisco
As I write this we are both in our hotel room. Pat is tweeting. I have been sitting here, wondering. It is a little terrifying. This is our first out of town CoffeeCon. The Bay Area has all the right ingredients for success: a robust economy, a big coffee-drinking...
The Future of Coffee at CoffeeCon San Francisco, July 26
I realize I’ve lived a cherished life. I have met many of the great minds of coffee. I met Alfred Peet, who’d read my articles and thought I was a roaster. He shared his roast philosophy one evening with me and we talked last into the night. Erna Knutsen, who coined...
Joe Behm and His Brazen Coffeemaker Come to CoffeeCon
One of the most exciting guests we’ll have at CoffeeCon isn’t a coffee, it’s a coffeemaker. I’ve reviewed coffee making machines for twenty years this year. The first thing to realize about coffeemakers is how important they are to our coffee enjoyment. They make our...
TCHO: Reinventing Chocolate at CoffeeCon
One of CoffeeCon’s most exciting exhibitions and classes isn’t about coffee. It’s about chocolate and here’s why I’m excited. Like most everyone else, I’ve enjoyed chocolate, like coffee in its range of tastes, source, and even some of the processes required to make...
Authentic Italian (Mr.) Espresso Coming to CoffeeCon San Francisco
My vision for CoffeeCon consumer coffee festival is always to bring the original. This does not mean we don’t want to try new things; it only means we want to experience something in its original and authentic form as well. With all due respect to Alfred Peet and...
CoffeeCon’s George Howell Coffee Makes Top Ten Roasters
Now you’ve got more reasons than ever to sign up for George Howell’s tasting seminar at CoffeeCon on July 26 in San Francisco. Our keynote tasting presenter George Howell just won the top ten roasters in America. It doesn’t surprise me, but it might surprise a few...
CoffeeCon San Francisco Reflections
If you read my pre-CoffeeCon concerns, you’ll be happy to know most of my fears were unfounded. We had a good to great turnout, between 700-1000 happy coffee enthusiasts, with a healthy mix of those waiting to be baptized with great cups. You see it in their eyes when...
Jim Schulman: CoffeeCon’s Espresso and Water Guru
One the things I’m most proud of is CoffeeCon’s eclectic group of presenters. The other day a first-week-on-the-job coffee company marketing VP asked me how I pick my presenters (after asking me why I of all people created CoffeeCon). The truth is I recruit them upon...
CoffeeCon: Dating Advice Sought and Given
The birth of my first grandson has freed me from the bonds of secrecy. I will now share my cherished secrets of how to remain true to my coffee mania mission, while staying just normal enough to date, marry and produce offspring. There are plenty of online videos to...
acaia Coffee Brewing Scale: Finally! Combine Perfect Brewing and Social Media
I met Aaron Fujiki at SCAA Seattle, where I happened upon his booth and realized what a powerful product he had. He told me that Rex Tseng, Johnny Hou and he founded acaia Corp. on one simple principle: to bring together design and technology into the coffee...